Garage door operating mechanism



June 5, 1934. c. A. DILLER GARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 5,1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 flllorney June 5, 1934. c A D L I GARAGE DOOROPERATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1934 Invemor [2&952214 J2 Zia)" 4/ f 1 By flllomey June 5, 1934.

Filed Feb.

C. A. DILLER GARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 5,1934. c. A. DILLER 1,961,283

GARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 5, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Inventor LB 5x062 0214 jay/Pr gmom Patented June 5, 19 34 UNITED STATESGARAGE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Chester A. Diller, Gap, Pa. I

Application February 5,

1934, Serial No. 709,862

3 Claims. (Cl. 268-35) The present invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in garage door operating mechanisms and has for its primaryobject to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a mechanism ofthis character embodying a novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts through the medium of which said mechanism may beactuated by an automobile approaching or leaving the garage for openingor closing the doors.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a garage door operatingmechanism of the aforementioned character which will be comparativelysimple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliablein operation, compact and which may be manufactured and installed at lowcost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein like characters of reference, designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the invention with the cover removed,showing a portion of the garage and the doors in horizontal section.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through themechanism.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the lower portion of thegarage, showing'the adjacent portion of the mechanism constituting thepresent invention in vertical transverse section.

Figure 4 is a view in horizontal section through the runway.

Figure 5 is a view in vertical transverse section, taken substantiallythrough the center of the mechanism.

the swingable standard which rises from the carriage.

Figure 7 is a detail view in elevation of one of the clutch members.

Figure 8 is a detail view in perspective of one end portion of one ofthe block disengaging levers.

Figure 9 is a detail view in horizontal section through the carriageframe.

Figure 10 is a detail view in side elevation,

showing a one end portion of one of the substantially C-shaped tracks. 7

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view in top plan of a portion of the runway.

Figure 12 is a view in horizontal section through an end portion of therunway and one of the Figure 6 is a. detail view in side elevation oftracks, showing the means for locking the blocks which travel in saidtracks.

Referring now to the drawings in detail. it will be seen that thereference numeral 1 designates generally a garage of conventionalconstruction which is provided with a pair of swinging doors 2. In theembodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated, thedoors 2 are fixed on vertical rotary shafts 3 which extend below thefloor of the garage into housings 4. Fixed on the lower end portion ofeach shaft 3, in the respective housings 4, is a pair of grooved drums 5and 6. U V

Extending longitudinally in front of the garage is a sunken runway whichis designated generally by the reference numeral 7. The runway '7 isclosed by a cover 8 having a longitudinal slot 9 therein. Operable inthe runway 7 is a carriage which is designated generally by thereference numeral 10, said carriage including a frame 11 76' which ismounted on supporting wheels 12. Fixed transversely in the frame 11 is apolygonal shaft 13 having a bearing 14 at an intermediate point uponwhich the hub portion .15 of a standard 16 is journaled, said standard16 being operable in 80 the slot 9. Slidably mounted on the shaft 13 arespring actuated clutches 17 which are operatively engageable with theopposite faces of' the hub portion 15 for releasably locking thestandard 16 against swinging movement on the bearing 14. The hub portion15 of the standard 16- is provided with radial grooves 18 (see Figure 6)for the reception of the teeth of the clutches. Arcuate arms 19 projectin opposite directions from an intermediate portion of the standard 16.-

Mounted longitudinally beneath the cover.8 of the runway 7, on oppositesides of the slot 9, are pairs of opposed, substantially C-shaped tracks20 beneath which the carriage 10 travels, said tracks thus constitutingguides for the-carriage. Slidably mounted in the tracks 20 are pairs ofblocks 21 which are engageable by angular arms 22 which rise from theframe 11 of the carriage 10 for actuation by said carriage. Attention ishere invited to the fact that two pairs of tracks 20 are provided, theinner ends of which are spaced from each other, as illustrated toadvantage in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The blocks 21 are mountedin each of the four tracks 20. K

Mounted beneath the cover 8, adjacent the inner endsof the pairs oftracks 20, are pairs of large and small drums 22 and 23, respectively,ttvo large drums 22 being provided on each side of the runway 7 and eachof said large drums hav- 110 ing fixed therebeneath one of the smalldrums 23. Cables 24 have one end secured to the blocks 21 and theirother ends anchored to the large drums 22 for winding thereon. Thecables 24 which are attached to the uppermost large drums 22 areconnected to the blocks 21-which are closest to the garage 1 and thecables 24 which are windable on the lowermost large drums 22 areconnected to the blocks 21 which travel in the outer pair of tracks 20.The reference numeral 25 designates a pair of door opening cables havingone end secured to the uppermost small drums 23 for winding thereon andtheir other ends secured to the upper drums 5 on the door shafts 3 forwinding thereon. The reference numeral 26 designates a pair of doorclosing cables which cross the cables 25 and have one end secured to thelowermost small drums 23 and their other ends secured to the drums 6 forwinding thereon.

Mounted in the end portions of the runway '7 are pairs of deflectors 27which are adapted to assist in engaging the blocks 21 in locked positionwith the outer ends of the tracks 20, as illustrated to advantage inFigure 12 of the drawings. Pivotally mounted in the runway '7 arehorizontally swinging releasing levers 28 having angular outer endportions 29 (see Figure 8) which are engageable with the blocks 21 fordisengaging said blocks from theends of the tracks 20. The releasinglevers 28 are provided in pairs, one for each block 21, between whichthe carriage 7 travels. The levers 28 project beyond the inner ends ofthe adjacent tracks 20 (see Figure 1) and are provided on their innerends with earns 30 for engagement by the carriage 10.

Pairs of cams 31 are also provided in the end portions of the runway '7for engagement with pins 32 for disengaging the clutch members 17,thereby releasing the standard 16 when the carriage 10 approaches thelimit of its travel in either direction in the runway '7. The pins 32are operable in slots 33 which are provided therefor in the bottom ofthe carriage frame 11. The reference numeral 34 designates the coilsprings which yieldingly urge the clutches 17 toward engaged oroperative position. The reference numeral 35 designates a pair ofvehicle actuated trips which are engageable with the free ends of thearms 19 for swinging the standard 16 to an upright position. The trips35 are returned to inoperative position by springs 36, the operating endof one of said trips being located adjacent the garage, the operatingend of the other of said trips being located beyond the outer end of therunway '7. This is best seen in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The carriage 10 is returned by gravity to inoperative position throughthe medium of a weight 37 which is operable in a well 38 which isprovided therefor and which conununicates with the runway 'l. The weight37 is connected to the bottom of the carriage frame -11 by a cable 39which travels over anti-friction rollers 40 in the bottom of the runway7. The reference numeral 41 designates cables which are connected to thelevers 28 for manually disengaging the blocks 21 from the ends of thetracks 20 to permit either or both' of the garage doors to be manuallyopened. Briefly, the operation of the apparatus is as follows:--

With the standardlfi in the position indicated in broken lines in Figure2 of the drawings, the

. automobile approaching the garage is driven over the outer trip 35 forswinging said standard to an upright position where it is arrested andlocked by the clutches 17 when the teeth thereof seat in the channels18. With the standard 16 in this position said standard is engaged bythe automobile and the carriage 10 is then moved in the runway 7 towardthe garage. Movement of the carriage in this direction, ofcourse, slidesthe pair of blocks 21 which are closest to the garage in a correspondingdirection in their respective tracks 20, thus actuating the cables 25for swinging the garage doors open. As hereinbefore stated, the blocksare moved in this manner by the angular arms 22 on the carriage frame11. As these blocks reach the ends of their respective tracks which areadjacent the garage they areengaged with said tracks substantially inthe manner shown in Figure 12 of the drawings for locking the doors inopen position. Substantially at the same time, the cams 31 engage thepins 32 and spread the clutches 1'? to open position, thereby releasingthe standard 16,,permitting said standard 16. to swing downwardly towardthe garage for permitting the passage of the automobile. The carriage 10is then returned to its former position, shown in Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawings, by the weight 3'7. As the carriage 10 reaches its former orinoperative position, said carriage engages the cams 30 of the innerpair of levers 28, actuating the same in a manner to disengage theblocks 21 which are locked to the ends of their respective tracks whichare adjacent the garage. The garage doors 2 may then be closed. Ifdesired, any suitable mechanical means may be provided for closing thedoors when they are thus released. When the automobile leaves thegarage, the doors 2 are swung to open position and said automobile isdriven over the innermost trip 35 for'again swinging the standard 16 toan upright position where it is locked by the clutches 1'7. Theautomobile traveling outwardly from the garage, then engages thestandard 16 and carries the carriage 10 outwardly therewith in therunway '7. When the carriage 10 is moved in this direction the blocks 21in the outer pair of tracks 20 are engaged by the angular arms 22 andmoved outwardly, thus actuating the cables 26 in a manner to close thegarage doors after theautomobile has been driven from the garage. Theseoutermost blocks 21 are carried outwardly and engaged with the outerends of their respective tracks 20 and the cams 31 in the outer endportion of the runway 7 engage the pins 32 for disengaging the clutches17, thereby permitting the standard 16 to be swung downwardly to perwmit the passage thereoverof the automobile. The weight 37 again returnsthe carriage 10 to inoperative position where it engages the cams 30 onthe outermost pair of levers 28 for releasing the locked blocks 21 andpermitting closing of the doors. If desired, a mechanism substantiallysimilar to that hereinbefore described may be installed inside of thegarage, particularly if it be a large garage,--for permitting the doorsto be closed behind the vehicle after it has entered and for opening thedoors as the vehicle approaches the same when leaving the garage.

It is believed that the many advantages of a garage door operatingmechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention will bereadily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the inventionis as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes inthe details of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

1. A mechanism of the class described for operating garage doorscomprising a runway, drums mounted adjacent the runway, tracks mountedin the rlmway, blocks slidable in the tracks, a carriage operable in therunway, means operatively connecting the blocks to the carriage foractuation thereby, means operatively connecting the drums to the blocksfor actuation thereby, means operatively connecting the doors to thedrums for actuation thereby, means for engaging the blocks with the endsof their respective tracks for locking the doors, and means foroperatively connecting the carriage tov a passing vehicle for actuationthereby.

2. A mechanism of the class described for operating garage doorscomprising a runway, drums mounted adjacent the runway, tracks mountedin the runway, blocks slidable in the tracks, a carriage operable in therunway, means operatively connecting the blocks to the carriage foractuation thereby, means operatively connecting the drums to the blocksfor actuation thereby, means operatively connecting the doors to thedrums for actuation thereby, means for engaging the blocks with the endsoftheir respective tracks for locking the doors, and means foroperatively connecting the carriage to a passing vehicle for actuationthereby, the last-named means including a standard mounted for swingingmovement on the carriage, clutch members mounted on the carriage forreleasably locking the standard in an upright position against movement,cams in the runway for disengaging the clutches, arms projecting fromthe standard, and vehicle actuatedtrips operatively engageable with thearms for swinging the standard to an upright position when the clutchesare disengaged.

3. A vehicle operated mechanism for actuating garage doors comprising arunway, a plurality of drums mounted adjacent the runway, tracks mountedin the runway, blocks slidable in the tracks, means operativelyconnecting the drums to the blocks for actuation thereby, meansoperatively connecting the doors to the drums for actuation thereby, awheeled carriage operable in the runway, means operatively connectingthe blocks to the carriage for actuation thereby, means operativelyconnecting the carriage to a passing vehicle for actuation thereby,means for locking the blocks in engagement with the tracks for securingthe doors against swinging movement, means for returning the carriage toinoperative position, and means operable by the carriage for unlockingthe blocks when the carriage returns to inoperative position.

' CHESTER h. DILLER.

